Love God and Do Whatever You Please

Pretty freeing, huh? The great theologian, Augustine of Hippo said that: Love God and do whatever you please.

Wait, what? Did you say, do whatever I please?

My pastor mentioned this in a sermon a few weeks ago. I applaud him for his guts. He’s someone who can take the punches (oh, and have the punches come in this season of fear). Scaredy-cat Christians find language like this far too reckless.

• Vote however I please? Yep, but make sure you love God first.

• Talk however I please? Yes, but make sure you love God first.

• Spend money however I please? Yep, but make sure you love God first.

• Parenting? Choosing a job? Picking a partner? Anything, anything I please? You got it. Just make sure it starts with loving God, then go from there.

The lynchpin that holds this together is once you’ve begun to get a clue about just how much God loves and wants you, you can’t help but love God back. 

And when you do, you morph into the person you really are. The one before brokenness crept in and distorted your glorious pre-fallen form. The truly loved lover.

Then expect this: there’ll be a wide range of colorful opportunities to express that love. It won’t be coercive, demanding or cookie-cutter, I promise you that. ”Whatever you please” will be varied. It’ll be risky, reckless, and unexpected. 

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

I’m real because God is so real.
~Nancy